dome-of-the-rock

In this chapter, Landsman, Berko, and Hertz Shemets discuss the mysterious figure Alter Litvak and his betrayal, revealing complex loyalties and tensions within the Jewish community in Sitka. The conversation touches on religious symbolism, particularly the red heifer and the Dome of the Rock, and culminates in a heated confrontation between Berko and his father, exposing deep familial and cultural conflicts. The chapter ends with Berko rejecting the religious identity imposed on him, highlighting the personal cost of communal and familial expectations.